To think a lot of parents of very young children become quite selfish

[allthewaythere]

I am expecting to be flamed but here goes.

Yesterday I was walking on a really narrow street and a couple were walking with a very young baby who’s only just started to take a few hesitant steps, maybe 11 months, so he had dad on one side and mum on the other.

Because the street was so narrow it meant everyone behind them either had to walk at toddler pace or step into the road to get by.

I’ve seen this in a lot of my friends with really young children. Is this a thing and does it pass?

'As for me, stepping down from the kerb and back up again hurts my knees (RA). Your child does not trump my knees'

Fucking hell I do wish for the days when mumsnet didn't get into a lather about parents and children daring to exist in public. Bloody pavement top trumps, whatever next.

YANBU... Some are ridiculous!! Very easy to move to one side and let people past. I have 4 kids and if people are passing we will go in a single line, children infront. Does no harm having abit of curiosity for others, people these days have a high level of entitlement. Kindness is key!

YANBU... Some are ridiculous!! Very easy to move to one side and let people past. I

This

@Londongirl you actually do sound very angry.

@misscromwellrocks

Nah not angry. Probably abit sarcastic because people need to understand that at different ages humans are able to do different things. Also kids walk slow. They get in the way. They don't understand what's expected from them. It's hardly crime of the century and certainly nothing to moan on here about. Parents do enjoy that moment their little ones can toddle. It's a milestone. I think my toddler is adorable in his little wellies toddling along. I've never come across such miserable people where I live. Everyone is lovely to my kids and always make a fuss of them. I also do the same to small people. A little kindness goes a long way. You don't know anything about that couple walking with their child. They could of been through something horrendous today. Or maybe they were just enjoying a walk. None of us own the footpaths or have the rights to tell people how quickly they should walk.

Yep you should mind out the way. But if someone doesnt with a small child as a one off does it really need to be a huge debate on people being rude and parents thinking their kids are the center of the universe. People do alot worse, like drink drive, beat strangers up for nothing, rob old ladies... abuse children. But people are coming on here to grumble about loving parents walking a baby.

London - not entirely clear what drama king means but I’ve been in GP waiting rooms ill with kids running about and I’ve always thought their parents were rude.

Look, it’s about appropriateness. We all have to live together so we all need to be considerate. Try not to use a busy narrow pavement for toddling practice. Try not to view your child running around a doctors surgery as a blessing for the patients. Yes, people need to be more patient but in my experience, patience reduces along the same lines as common sense does.

A dad allowed his children to hog all 4 display iPads in John Lewis, playing games. I waited 10 minutes and then finally said politely please can I have a quick look. He begrudgingly said yes. Should I have waited?

Also, two women were behind my elderly, disabled mum. One rammed her pushchair in my legs. When my mum objected, they told her she was walking too slowly

*in her legs

@Londongirl86 it is really not appropriate for your child to run around adr waiting room ffs.

Kids have to learn to walk outside and get used to navigating pavements. So I think yabu here but I can appreciate where you are coming from. I was in a shopping centre today and it was very busy. Going down the stairs a mum and her toddler were walking in front and were slow to the point I had to stop to wait for them to go down a few steps first. The mum apologised, it was fine as I have two of my own and know they have to learn. That being said I carried my own 2 year old down the stairs as it was busy and he would have slowed people down too. A bit of common sense is needed, yes kids need to practice but not when it is busy.

I have experienced grandmas chatting outside the schools gates totally oblivious that I need to get passed with a pram and then tutting because I dared ask them to move out of the way, albeit politely. They can have a chat anywhere but outside the gates on a narrow pavement when other people need to get passed is selfish, it would also force me into the road which is dangerous. It is the same two women every time, I might start running over their feet with the pram....

Entitled people are everywhere!

Errrr @Leighhalfpennysthigh now I may be wrong and her kid may have been doing this, but she doesn't say he was.

@Sceptre86 to mums shouldn't take their toddlers out when it's busy? That's ridiculous, a toddler has a right to walk down the stairs with its mum, I'm sure she could have moved to the side. If not, then people should be able to wait a little while. Ffs, it's not about being entitled, it's about people not being on such a fucking rush and realising that a few extra seconds won't make a difference. If it was a disabled person on front, or an elderly frail person, would you expect them to not be put because its busy?

So not to

I didn't say mums shouldn't take their kids out when busy, please read my post. I frequently do but when it is very busy picking up said child is just considerate of others unless there is a reason why you can't of course. My son is around the same age as the lady who was in front of me yet I picked him as quite a queue was forming on the stairs which is not exactly safe.

Disabled people or the elderly cannot help walking slowly, same as young kids but the difference is parents can pick up their kids to help them move along that bit quicker. Everyone has a right to walk down the street, it is about showing due consideration for other people.

Why should you pick your child up? They need to be able to walk and not rely on adults picking them up all the time. When do you stop this nonsense and picking them up? 5,6,7 or 8? 8 year olds after all can still tend to dawdle. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to pick my toddler up. As I said, not dangerous. People need to learn to be patient.. Its an extra few seconds. 🙄

Yabu to think selfish arseholery is limited to parents of young kids op. The vast majority of all human beings are wankers, just look at this thread. Probably a good 95% selfish arseholes

To the PP who moaned about having to wait for precious children to press the lift button - my DS (age 7) has ASN and I pause to let him press the lift button ALL the time. It's a small moment that brings him joy so I'm sorry that you're so fucking miserable you can't wait for that moment. Some fucking people!

Snoopdogsbitch you posted bang on the cusp of two decades!

(Just thought I’d point out such an achievement)

I've just noticed this! I wrote it way earlier but didn't press post- must have pressed it as I stood up at the bells of Midnight! 🤣

Not death but certainly stupid to walk in the road when it’s dark, rainy, Misty and traffic is heavy and lots of cyclists.

So you do what we were all taught to do as children and wait till there's a gap in the traffic. What can be so difficult?

I feel this pain with slow walkers (of any age, not just babies). If you've a young child or are old and need to walk slowly, then fine, but please do it to one side of the supermarket entrance so others can leave. Don't stand in the middle of the floor shuffling along creating a queue behind you.

Yes I do say excuse me, and I am always very polite (obviously) but it is frustrating. I've been slow in the past but I've walked to the side so others can pass. Not helpful when you've 4mins to make your bus and are having to walk along at a snails pace!

Also why on earth let a 11mknth old walk in a street? Besides the inconvenience to other shoppers it's hardly good for them to be walking with that many people about? Keep them in a pushchair and let them practice walking at home until they're more able. It's hardly an option of walk on streets or stay plonked in a pram for all eternity.

Also allowing kids to scream on public transport. Children have tantrums, I get that. There's a difference between a 18mongb old tantrumming, and a 5ye old screaming 'ahh' at the top of her voice which smiling and laughing and the parents smiling indulgently and not telling them to stop it. The former is perfectly normal. The latter is just laziness - bring an ipad or tell them to stop, to protect passages ears. No guarantee it'd wkfj but better than not trying

It's all part of the sad deficit of human decency we have in some parts of the uk.

If someone slower than you is slowing you down, walk around them rather than getting angry about it. It's just like if someone more infirm than you is standing up, let them sit down. It's not rocket science, just don't be a dick.

Lots of people are self absorbed. No one should block pavements by walking 2 abreast or more, unless supporting the other person is a requirement (which for a baby they can be carried so not so imo) . Likewise some people are far too impatient.

I've been barged aside by teens walking 3 abreast at the local school and it used to piss me off when pregnant so i used to use the empty buggy to barrel though rather then be knocked into the road, as i was on 3 occasions. On the impatient side, i was recovering from a hard birth, tons of stitches and forceps and had to get more painkillers quickly from the pharmacy. Obviously i limped at a snails pace, looking like death according to some lovely people, i had plenty of space for those to move past yet still had someone tutting and almost mouth to my ear they were so close, trying to hurry me rather than move past.

At my dcs There’s grandparents that do the school run with their grand daughter (she’s year 5) they walk abreast of the entire pavement holding her hand either side pushing everyone else into the road.
Does my absolute head in.
Why.
Why do that?! Everyone else is single file so we can get past and we make more allowances for tiny kids likely to bolt.

Are people in general getting more selfish or are we all becoming less patient?